13/07/2015

Manjhi, Pappu meet sparks off speculations of Third Front


 

 

 

 

 

 

Patna,(BiharTimes): The statements given by former chief minister and Hindustani Avam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi and Madhepura MP, Pappu Yadav, in a joint Press conference after their meeting on Sunday sparked off speculations in the political circle.

While Manjhi went on to threaten that if appropriate number of seats and due respect are not given to HAM his party would not join the NDA, Pappu on the other hand had called for projecting the Dalit leader as the chief ministerial candidate of the National Democratic Alliance. He considers Manjhi as a much greater leader than Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar.

The two leaders dropped enough hints that HAM and Pappu’s Jan Kranti Adhikar Morcha (JKAM) may joined hands and contest election on all the 243 seats if due weightage are not given to them in the NDA. While Manjhi had met Narendra Modi a couple of times Pappu Yadav had called on the PM in February last when he was still in the RJD.

As Pappu’s entry into the NDA is being opposed by state level BJP leaders because of his controversial past and overbearing personality, Manjhi and some of his men are not being accepted by LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan, who does not want another Dalit leader to grow within the NDA. That was the problem with him during the Atal Bihari Va-jpayee era, from whose cabinet he had resigned after Mayawati came close to NDA after the 2002 UP Assembly election.

However, several political observers are of the view that Manjhi and Pappu had just hardened their stance to increase their bargaining position. Manjhi had already demanded something between 60 and 70 seats for his party, which the BJP feels is too much.

The BJP is finding it difficult to handle the other two old allies too, es-pecially the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party leader and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, who is demanding 67 seats for his own party and 74 for LJP. It remains a mystersy as to why he is speaking on behalf of LJP, when the latter has not made any such demand. Kushwaha also wants himself to be declared as the chief ministerial candidate of the NDA. 

Sunday’s development has come a couple of days after the saffron party’s better performance in the Council election. The state leader-ship appears somewhat worried and efforts are on to put a brave face.


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